light pollen were readily carried by the slightest air currents from flowers 

 of one plant to those of another plant. Seeds from the sugar beet were saved 

 and planted in the open field. As the white root color is recessive, all those 

 seedlings showing red color indicated hybridity. These hybrid beets, after 

 having been held in cold storage, were brought into flower in the green- 

 house under lights used to supplement the short photoperiod during the 

 winter. Seed was saved for a second generation which was grown in the 

 field. Those beets of good shape and having solid red color throughout the 

 root and a high sugar or total soluble-solids content were selected for seed 

 production. The internal root color was determined by pushing a one- 

 quarter-inch cork borer through the side of the beet. The presence or ab- 

 .sence of white zones of color within roots that had a solid dark red ex- 

 terior could thus be readily observed from the small cylinder of flesh re- 

 moved, yet with only slight damage to the root. 



Sweetheart beet — a late table variety, much sweeter than other table kinds. 



The relative sweetness of roots was measured by use of a Spencer Standard 

 Abbe-type refractometer. A small piece gouged from the side of a root 

 was squeezed between the jaws of a pair of hand pliers until a drop of 

 juice flowed on to the slide of the refractometer. Thus a reading for the 

 total soluble solids of each root could be made rather quickly. Only those 

 red roots having a reading similar to the sugar beet were saved for seed 

 production. Again seed from these selected roots was harvested in the 

 greenhouse during the winter. The seed from each plant was kept separate 

 to allow for progeny testing in the field the next summer. From the best 

 progeny lines further selections were made and the procedures as already 

 outlined were repeated until true breeding lines had been established. As 

 a result, a new late variety of red table beet, having smooth, oval, tapered 

 roots with a total soluble solids reading of 15 percent, has been named 

 Sweetheart. This reading, which approaches the value for a sugar beet, 

 is largely due to the presence of sugar. Most varieties of table beets have 

 readings of only 7 to 10 percent solids. Sweetheart beet has been rated 

 excellent in cooking tests and it has merited only praise from those home 

 gardeners who have grown this new table beet. The roots store exceptionally 

 well. Sweet pickled beets may be prepared by the use of vinegar only as 

 no additional sugar is needed with the new Sweetheart variety. 



